The first in
the Alpha Ops novella series that features an alpha Navy SEAL who meets
his match in a buttoned-up firecracker who is hiding a passionate side.

Logistics
director Rose Powell agreed to chaperone her grandmother on a guided
tour of Roman ruins on one condition: her brother Jack would come with
her. But when Jack backs out, his best friend and fellow SEAL Keenan
Parker takes his place. Without a working cell phone, Rose's orderly
world drifts into dreamy days and hot, secret nights in Keenan's bed.
Keenan left the Navy but never made it any farther than Istanbul, much
less to a viable future. Until he does, he'll show Rose things she
didn't know about herself. Can he give his heart and his future to the
woman he promised his best friend he'd never touch?

I'm a huge fan of Anne Calhoun so I was excited for these books even
though they were novellas, which aren't my favorite format. Sadly
though I didn't love these books as much as I normally love Anne's
writings. However, that didn't mean that I didn't like it I just
didn't love them.

I liked the idea of this story more then the story itself. Rose Powell is a strong woman who's in control of her life. So controlled there is not a lot of room for error. Now on a whirlwind trip to Turkey with her Grandma and her friends she finds herself leaning on Keenan Parker.

Keenan Parker is an ex-seal who originally was helping out his friend Jack Powell by doing a favor being the guide for Jack's sister Rose and their grandma and friends. From the get go, Keenan is intrigued by Rose and together they find its okay to need others besides yourself.

Rose and Keenan have an instant connection and act on it knowing that there can't be any more since Keenan lives in Turkey and Rose lives in the states.

"Maybe you are the way you are, and you just need to find your way home."

One of my favorite things about Anne is her ability to write so much beauty into the sensuality of her stories instead of making it just sex. She also has so much more into her stories that just relationship angst. This novella still had that but with a minimum amount. I think if the book was longer these elements would have been more powerful and less skimmed over within the shorter story.

I did quite like the relationship of Keenan and Rose and how it evolved parallel with the growth of them as individuals. I feel like Grandma and her friends also helped to make the story so much more.

The second in the Alpha Ops novella series that features an alpha Navy SEAL and the librarian who brings him to his knees.

Jack
Powell never planned on leaving the Navy, but his final mission as a
SEAL left him with a tremor and a bad case of nerves. He's home, taking
some college classes and trying to figure out what comes next when he
meets Erin Kent, a divorced college librarian with an adventurous bucket
list and a mission to get her ex-husband's voice out of her head. Jack
guides Erin through skydiving and buying the motorcycle of her dreams,
blithely accepting Erin's promise that their relationship is purely
temporary. But when Jack gets the chance to go back into the shadowy
world of security contracting, can he convince Erin to break her word
and join him on the adventure of a lifetime?

Again another great idea with an older stronger female with a younger sexy ex-seal, however there were a few things that didn't work for me.
1) The title. I don't know why but this title made me not want to read it. Since its Anne of course I did but I had to talk myself into it.
2) I know it was an ARC so my fingers are crossed that these mistakes were picked up in the final copy but there were quite a lot of timeline issues that made it quite distracting while reading. If these were fixed in the final then it won't be a problem, if they aren't then be warned there are a few that could throw off some of the details.

After these details the story was good and the series is getting momentum. Each one can be read as a standalone but they are intermingled together making the stories flow a bit more reading them all.

Jack Powell had to leave the Seal's and is still dealing with the aftermath of losing a friend and suffering from PTSD. Jack is trying to find his way back to being whole. Erin Kent is trying to move on from her divorce. She hates failing and breaking promises and the end of the marriage is weighing on her. However, it needed to be done. Now she has some goals to move forward. 1) sky dive 2) buy a motorcycle 3) date.

The last things both were expecting was each other. Jack's going back to school where he meets the sexy librarian. This sexy librarian doesn't want the distraction but can't stay away from this sexy ex-seal. Jack and Erin steam up the sheets immediately. Which would have been hard to deny with Jack's dirty talking ways.

They started as a no strings attached coupling but when Erin finds out she's about to break her promise she hightails it out of there instead of breaking another promise.

"Looks like we're both trying to learn to trust again,"

Jack didn't realize what was missing until he had Erin Kent. Together they bring the best out in each other but now all Jack has to do is convince Erin of this.

I definitely liked this book better than the first but it still is not my favorite Anne Calhoun story. Thankfully it had the elements that I adore from Anne but I think the shortness of the stories is where we are losing the essence of the stories in their entirety.

The third in the Alpha Ops novella series that features an alpha Navy SEAL and the girl he thought he'd lost forever.

In
high school, basketball star Charlotte Stannard and Navy SEAL Jamie
Hawthorn were everything but lovers. They shared a ruthlessly
competitive spirit and relentless drive, but Charlie, afraid of the
consequences of an unplanned pregnancy at seventeen, drove Jamie away.
But now Jamie's back in town for the banquet to honor the basketball
coach, and finds Charlie, newly home from a successful career in the
European leagues and coaching the girls' team. The flames between them
are hotter than ever, but Charlie believes Jamie just wants what he
couldn't have when they were kids. Jamie's not just playing to win. He's
playing for Charlie's heart, forever.

I was so excited for this one as it had many elements that I adore.
1) Anne Calhoun
2) Friends to lovers
3) A sexy seal.

This series is definitely getting better and better but sadly I didn't fall for Charlie. I liked so many elements of her. Strong career woman but I'm never a fan of stubborn 'you could do better than me' heroines. Sure, I understand why she is the way she is and it totally makes sense but I find this particular trait makes the heroine come across more weaker than they actually are.

Jamie knew Charlie wasn't like her mother. But did Charlie?

What I did love was Jamie Hawthorn and his determination to make right of something that never happened. Since they were kids Jamie has loved Charlie, but they both had dreams and ambitions. Charlie wanted out of that town and the last thing she wanted was the potential to get pregnant and cause her to lose out on her dreams. So when she had the choice of Jamie or her future she picked her future. Even though Jamie had his own dreams he has always regretted never being able to fully love Charlie.

"Fuck the odds. You'd rather quit than fail?"

At first Charlie decides to give in but keeps a large wall around her to prevent her from falling for Jamie. Sadly Jamie didn't get that memo. With Charlie her past and fears are running her present life. Because of her fears she's also projecting these beliefs onto her students.

Thankfully her students and Jamie see the possibility of what if otherwise Charlie's world would have been quite lonely and unfulfilling.

"You either bring the best game you've got, or we don't play."

I did quite like this story but again I was left wanting more from the story. It did have all the elements that I love about Anne's writing but not enough. I believe these stories within this series so far would have benefited from being longer so we could have had more of a build up with the characters, that we could have loved them more. This story as well had a few timeline errors that again I hope were fixed within the final copy if not then it could throw you off a bit but not enough to ruin the story.

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Blog Posting Update

I wish I had time to blog only, but real life dictates me to have a full time career. As of late this non-blogger life is becoming too busy decreasing my time to read and review. To try and accommodate all facets of my life I have a new posting regimen.

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